Learning to Live

Chapter 8: Lab Rat

Harry spent the next day and the following weeks closeted away in his secret room, absorbing the knowledge of his stolen books, sometimes literally. In the first dozen books, Harry came across an enchantment that allowed him to take in information from a book wholly, without taking the time to read. He had simply to perform the spell, touch the required books, and suddenly, he knew everything contained therein. It cut down on the time necessary for his education considerably.

A week after his debut as a thief, Harry came across the information he particularly sought: wandless magic. Because his and Tom’s wands were brethren, wandless magic would be the ultimate sneak attack. Harry didn’t find it at all odd that he began to refer to Voldemort as Tom. He didn’t even notice it really.

Three weeks after the Malfoy Break-In, Harry knew every scrap of information contained in the entire collection of Dark Books owned by the family of Death Eaters. He knew enchantments, hexes, serums, curses, charms, elixirs, spells, glamours, sorceries, enthralments, potions, jinxes... if it was Dark, if it was harmful, if it would benifit him in any way, Harry knew it or of it.

It was with this preparation that Harry went to Diagon alley. One thing he had learned was something called Walking the Shadow-ways. He had merely to step into a clutch of shadows, and he would step out of another. He entered the Shadow-ways from his secret room, exiting in the Leaky Cauldron. Before he left, Harry placed layer upon layer of glamour and enchantment on himself.

He began with basic feature alteration. He made his skin darker, almost Latin looking, his bone structure, his height, his hair cut and colour, his scar, his age. When he was unrecognizable, he began placing distraction and befuddlement charms. Then finally, he altered the signature of his magic, making his aura not his own. Not many would think to do this, or even know how. But thanks to his recent education, Harry did it with ease.

Stepping into the busy alley behind the pub, Harry was momentarily overwhelmed with the noise and bustle, being used to the quiet and solitude of his private retreat. He shook it off quickly, moving into the crowds.

No one noticed him. No one was supposed to. He made his way to Flourish and Blotts Wizard Bookshop, intent on finding more books. To his disgust, all he found were pallid imitations of Dark Magic, things like the Bat Boogie Hex, and Jelly Leg Jinx. In other words, murky grey magic as opposed to the pitch black he sought.

And so, to Knockturn Alley he went. His first stop was Borgin & Burkes. He found some of the books referenced in his previous readings. Those vanished into his cloak. The found potion’s ingredients that he needed for some future projects. Those he had to pay for, but it was no matter. Money meant nothing at this point.

Harry flitted from shop to shop like some poisonous butterfly, buying and steeling materials for his projects. Finally, he was prepared to leave. His cloak was weighted down and his pockets full, shrunken bags hanging from his belt. Just at the corner back to Diagon Alley, a hag approached him, her professional vocation displayed beyond doubt. He smiled at her, took her arm, and they vanished. She would not reappear in this life.


Plot filler, but neccessary for the next chapter. *cough*review*cough*